Meeting the Future Foundation
by WiiFan2009
Summary: Having just escaped Hope's Peak Academy, Koichi Kizakura takes the survivors to meet the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Future Foundation. Will their initiation into the Future Foundation proceed seamlessly?
1. Tourai! Shoukai!

A/N: So, I had planned for this to be a one-shot, but it just got too long, so it's gonna be about 3 chapters long instead. This is the next entry in my Danganronpa Gaiden series, taking place after Trigger Happy Havoc. Enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and the Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Meeting the Future Foundation

Chapter One: Tourai! Shoukai!

"Alright, everyone. Just follow me so we can get you all introduced to the Future Foundation."

Koichi Kizakura's voice rang out as the survivors followed him in a single-file line, exiting the helicopter. Holding up the rear was the lavender-haired Ultimate Detective, Kyoko Kirigiri. By her side was the newly christened Ultimate Hope, Makoto Naegi, his face still beet-red from what he could only describe as a rude awakening.

XXX

"…Wakey wakey. Wakey wakey, Naegi!"

Makoto groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and tilted his gaze up until Hina's smiling face came into focus.

Yawning, Makoto replied "Hina. What time is it? Have we arrived at the Future Foundation yet?"

Shaking her head, Hina answered "Not yet, but Mr. Kizakura came out while you were sleeping and said we'd be landing in ten minutes. Speaking of which," Hina adopted a Cheshire-like grin, making Makoto shiver as she continued "It looks to me like the two of you had a verrryyy nice nap."

"…Two of us…who are you…"

It was then that Makoto finally noticed the arms that were locked around his frame. Makoto blanched as soon as he saw the leather gloves resting on his belly, and when he looked up at the still slumbering feminine face mere centimeters away from his own, his eyes threatened to bulge right out of his skull. Memories of the night prior flooding back to him, Makoto started to panic.

Making sure to keep his volume down so as to not wake Kyoko, Makoto hissed "It's not what it looks like!"

"Oh? So, you two didn't fall asleep as lovers last night and embrace in a show of affection?"

"NO! Of course not!"

Makoto tried to gently escape from Kyoko's grasp, only to be foiled when her arms reflexively tightened their grip, preventing him from moving as she remained blissfully unaware of the argument happening right in front of her.

Hina held her palm to her mouth to muffle her giggles at Makoto's foiled escape.

"Seems to me like Kyoko says otherwise…" Standing up, Hina finished "I'll leave you two to your alone time, but you'll probably want to wake her up before long. If not, then Mr. Kizakura will find you, and who knows how he'll react to seeing you make a move on his best friend's only daughter!"

Giggling, Hina went out of view, leaving a beet-red Makoto in her wake, who sighed in relief and exasperation before twisting as much as he could to try and nudge Kyoko awake.

XXX

_…I still can't believe she barely reacted at all…_

Indeed, beyond the slightest of blushes that was unnoticeable to all but the most observant, Kyoko hadn't reacted to their predicament at all, in stark contrast to Makoto.

As they kept walking, Kyoko whispered in his ear "I know you're easily flustered but try to stop blushing. It likely won't be long before we get to meet the rest of the Future Foundation, and a bad first impression will only weaken our hand for potential negotiations."

Gulping, Makoto nodded and with some focus, managed to get the red in his cheeks to largely recede. Before long they arrived at a large set of metal doors with a set of glowing buttons on the side. Quickly entering a sequence of button presses, Koichi opened the doors to reveal a giant elevator.

"Alright, we're headed to the top floor to meet the Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Future Foundation, so everyone hurry in the elevator."

The Hope's Peak Survivors filed in, fitting comfortably in the elevator before Koichi pressed the topmost button on the floor selection panel, causing the doors to close and the elevator to zip up.

"Alright, we'll all want to exit single-file when we arrive at the top floor. Naegi-kun, Kyoko-chan, you two should head the front of your group. As the one who defeated Junko Enoshima, and Headmaster Kirigiri's next-of-kin, the Chairman will want to see you first. Oh, and be sure you two are holding hands as you walk; it'll show your unity."

Kyoko glared at Koichi for his double meaning, but otherwise didn't complain, wrapping her hand around Makoto's without hesitation. Makoto drew upon his self-control that he developed when distracting Monokuma to avoid blushing at the contact again. Seeing everyone gather behind the two Ultimates, Koichi smiled as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a beep.

As Koichi and the survivors marched forward, an elderly, gray-bearded man and a much younger, taller man with silver hair and a katana attached to his waist came into view.

"Koichi Kizakura, Branch 3 of the Future Foundation" the former talent scout announced as they made their entrance.

"I take it by the crowd behind you that you managed to rescue the surviving students…" the silver-haired man responded.

Nodding, Koichi gestured for Kyoko and Makoto to come forward. Gulping with nervousness, Makoto was dragged forward by Kyoko as they stood parallel to Koichi.

"Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective and Jin Kirigiri's daughter. Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student and the one who brought down Junko Enoshima."

Koichi then proceeded to call out each of the other survivors names and have them stand next to Makoto and Kyoko in a row.

"Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny."

"Aoi Asahina, the Ultimate Swimming Pro."

"Toko Fukawa, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy."

"Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant."

As all six survivors were introduced, Koichi continued "Everyone, the grey-bearded old man to the left is the Chairman of the Future Foundation, Kazuo Tengan. The stiff, silver-haired man to the right is Kyosuke Munakata, Vice-Chairman of the Future Foundation and formerly the Ultimate Student Council President."

Said Chairman chuckled, amused at Koichi's…blunt description, while Kyosuke groaned at the veiled insult.

It was then that Kazuo stepped forward and greeted "Welcome to the Future Foundation. Words cannot describe how relieved that we are that you all managed to survive your ordeal at Hope's Peak Academy."

It was then that Kyoko coughed to make herself known before she spoke "Chairman Kazuo Tengan. When Kizakura rescued us, he told us that in exchange for shelter and safety, you would expect us to help your Future Foundation fight against "Remnants of Despair". However, when I pressed him for further detail, he refused, stating that you would explain it yourselves. If we're going to be willing partners, then I think it's about time we skip the pleasantries and tell us exactly who the Remnants of Despair are, and what exactly fighting against them would mean for us."

Kyoko's speech earned her a glare of ire from the Vice-Chair Kyosuke Munakata. Kyoko answered that glare with her own, violet and blue eyes locked in a silent struggle. Makoto started to sweat, worried for what might happen to Kyoko for implicitly challenging the heads of their saviors. It was then that Kazuo coughed into his hand, silently urging them to break off their stare war.

Once the two had complied, Kazuo Tengan replied "I believe I can agree to that."


	2. The Tragedy of the 77th Class

Chapter Two: The Tragedy of the 77th Class

Kazuo grabbed a remote from his coat pocket and pressed a button, causing a projector screen to activate. Clicking the button once more, two images of the deceased Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba appeared.

"You see, after your first year of school, Junko and Mukuro started to put their plan to enact the Tragedy in effect. They started by targeting a student in the class before you; a student with two identities."

"T..two? You mean…like…"

Kazuo shook his head at Toko's stuttered question and replied "Not exactly. This isn't a case of a split personality. More like, an identity replacement." Kazuo pressed the button once more, replacing the two images with one of a spiky brown-haired teenager with an ahoge similar to Makoto's and continued "First, let me introduce you to a student from the Reserve Course during this time; Hajime Hinata. I knew him personally; he was a quiet boy who had no discernable talent. Indeed, he was average in every way."

_Just like me…_The similarity was not lost on Makoto, who felt like he was looking at an alternate version of himself.

"Like most people, he looked up to Hope's Peak Academy and longed to be a part of it. And so, he enrolled in the Reserve Course. There was just one problem though; enrolling in the Reserve Course meant paying exorbitant tuition fees. Some, including your father, Kyoko, considered them to be highway robbery. Unfortunately, the Steering Committee didn't share his viewpoint, so as a result when that semester was scheduled to end, Hajime's parents ran out of money to pay for the tuition. So, he was left with two options; drop out of Hope's Peak Academy or be scouted by the school and enroll properly."

"I see...and without a talent that the school would recognize, dropping out was his only option."

Kazuo gave a sad smile at Kyoko's deduction before correcting "Well, that's not entirely accurate. There was one other path he had; one that changed not only his own fate, but that of the world." At Kyoko's raised eyebrow, Kazuo explained "You see, the Reserve Course tuition wasn't to pay for Hope's Peak's many amenities. The Steering Committee used it to research talent, and their ultimate goal was to find a way to artificially insert talent into talentless people."

More than a few bristled at the ethical implications brought by this revelation. Even Byakuya Togami, arguably the most callous of their group, felt sickened at this revelation.

"Did…did my father have anything to do with this…"

Makoto gazed over to his friend, worried as she bit her lip in concealed anger at what her father's school had been orchestrating behind closed doors.

Kazuo shook his head and answered "This project was kept extremely confidential; only the members of the Steering Committee had any knowledge of this plan. The Steering Committee held such sway over Hope's Peak, that they even outranked Headmaster Kirigiri."

_I see…so the Steering Committee, which my father had no control over, used their authority to create a completely unethical Talent experiment. They also likely preyed on Hajime's desire to belong in Hope's Peak, which I'm sure Junko was more than happy to take advantage of…_

"Getting back on track, Hajime had always felt insecure about his lack of talent, and Reserve Course students were treated almost like a separate caste, forbidden from even setting foot on the main campus to intermingle with their main class peers."

Makoto scowled and clenched his fists in anger, eyes narrowed as he heard what Hajime and the other Reserve Course students had to put up with to attend Hope's Peak Academy. As the shy, small, physically weak dork that so many of his middle school classmates thought of him as, Hajime's backstory hit somewhat close to home. But to hear such a social system taken to that kind of an extreme…made Makoto blood boil on the inside.

Kyoko discreetly stroked his palm with her thumb, trying to provide some measure of comfort for the silently enraged boy. Brought back to normal by her leathery touch, Makoto gave a silent glance of apology for his emotional high. Discreetly nodding her acceptance and reassurance, the two turned back to the Chairmen and continued to listen to their explanation.

"Hajime's fears and insecurities were compounded after an unfortunate altercation with a security guard when he tried to enter the main campus after the death of a classmate. Despite my subtle attempts to dissuade him, he volunteered to be the Steering Committee's fist human test subject."

Everyone's eyes widened, startled at this turn of events. Kyoko quickly recovered and mused "I see. So that's how he was able to secure a spot in the Main Course without having an officially recognized talent from birth."

"Official school records stated that Hajime was expelled, but that was simply a cover-up to hide their experimentation on Hajime. In the end, the experiment was a success; Hajime was granted every talent that Hope's Peak Academy had researched up to that point, but in the process completely wiped his identity. Hajime Hinata, for all intents and purposes, was dead, and the persona that replaced him was christened Izuru Kamukura, after both the name of the project and Hope's Peak's first Headmaster."

Kazuo pressed the clicker again and added next to Hajime's image a picture of a boy with blazing red eyes and long, wavy strands of black hair. The drastic change unsettled everyone, but none more than Makoto. He felt the urge to shout his trademark "NO, THAT'S WRONG" at the Steering Committee's callousness, but kept silent.

_Could...could that have been me…had things been different?_

Makoto's monologue was interrupted by Kazuo's continued explanation "Not long after, Junko and Mukuro forced their way into the facility where Izuru was being housed, and through methods unknown, managed to recruit him to their cause. It was then that the trio targeted the 77th Class."

Kazuo clicked the button once more, replacing the images of Hajime and Izuru with sixteen different images of what were presumably the students of the class before them.

"They were Akane Owari The Ultimate Gymnast, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu the Ultimate Yakuza…"

Hiro trembled in fear as he was all too familiar with the name Kuzuryuu.

_It's the older brother of that girl I swindled! He's the entire reason I tried to shake Makoto down for his organs! Is he gonna come after us!?_

Unaware of Hiro's fears, the rest of the survivors listed to Kazuo as he continued.

"…Gundham Tanaka the Ultimate Breeder, Hiyoko Saionji the Ultimate Traditional Dancer, Ibuki Mioda the Ultimate Musician, Kazuichi Soda the Ultimate Mechanic, Mahiru Koizumi the Ultimate Photographer, Mikan Tsumiki the Ultimate Nurse, Nekomaru Nidai the Ultimate Team Manager, Peko Pekoyama the Ultimate Team Manager, Ryota Mitarai the Ultimate Animator, the unnamed Ultimate Imposter, Sonia Nevermind the Ultimate Princess, Teruteru Hanamura the Ultimate Cook, Chiaki Nanami the Class Representative and Ultimate Gamer, and finally Nagito Komaeda the Ultimate Lucky Student."

_My…predecessor?_

Makoto shook the thought from his head and refocused his attention back to Kazuo.

"While anonymously exposing the Steering Committee's plan and causing the Reserve Course to rebel and massacre most of the student body, Junko, Mukuro, and Izuru blackmailed Ryota into creating a despair hypnosis video and subjected the 77th Class to it while executing Chiaki. To this day, with exception to Ryota who heads our 10th Division, the 77th Class works as Junko Enoshima's underlings. They are the Remnants of Despair that we are fighting against."

Nodding, Kyosuke reiterated "As Chairman Tengan stated, your mission shall be to help us eradicate the Remnants of Despair, so that the despair that Junko wrought can die, and hope can replace it as the world returns to normalcy."

Narrowing her eyes at Kyosuke as she questioned "So what you're saying, Munakata, is that you brought us here, out of the frying pan, simply to throw us back into the proverbial fire by sending us on a suicide mission against the Remnants of Despair?"

"WHY YOU!"

All parties were startled as the new voice burst through the rear door; its owner a tall, bulky man with dark-green hair. Looking for all the world like a raging bull, he stomped in Kyoko's direction, causing Makoto to step forward immediately to shield her from the unnamed threat.

"Out of the way kid. Your friend here needs to learn an important lesson about respect." Shifting his glare to what of Kyoko was visible, the man seethed "You dare to speak with such crass to Vice-Chairman Munakata, after he went to the lengths to rescue all of you…you should be…"

"JUZO!"

It was then that a slender young woman with orange-brown hair, garbed in a white lab coat, marched over to the other intruder and yanked on his ear.

"You KNOW that Munakata and Tengan explicitly said that we were to wait to speak to the 78th Class survivors until tomorrow so they could get settled in. And what do I find? You, antagonizing our new guests. You should be ashamed of yourself! This is just like when you beat up Hajime!"

That last statement caught the attention of Kyoko and Makoto.

_So this Juzo must be the security guard that Kazuo Tengan mentioned before…_

Makoto felt a touch of resentment towards Juzo for the role he played in Hajime's fate, before wiping it from his mind.

_What am I thinking? I don't even know the guy yet! I should reserve judgment until I get to know him better…_

Munakata coughed, causing the new woman to let go of Juzo's ear.

"…We had hoped to give you all a day to settle in before having you meet the rest of the Future Foundation, but in light of Juzo's…interruption…it can't be helped."

Juzo looked away, cooling down from his rage.

Nodding, Kazuo spoke "Everyone, the young man here is Juzo Sakakura, the former Ultimate Boxer and Director of our 6th Division. The young woman here is Chisa Yukizome. In addition to being the 77th Class's main instructor, she's also the former Ultimate Housekeeper and the Director of our 5th Division."

Juzo grumbled, while Chisa grinned and bowed, apologizing for interrupting the meeting.

Kyosuke gently ordered "Juzo, Yukizome, your introductions have concluded. Would you two please return to your quarters for the evening?"

"Of course, Munakata. Let's go, Juzo."

Bidding the group farewell, the two left, but not before Makoto caught a hint of reddish pink in her iris, making him frown with concern before he dismissed it as a hallucination.

"As I was about to say…" Kyosuke started "While our eventual goal is to have you help us neutralize the Remnants of Despair, we are not so foolish as to send you all on what is, a suicide mission, so unprepared. We fully intend to train you so that you can defend yourselves in the field. And we both recognize that not everyone is suited for combat. We can have you all contribute to the cause in different ways. Each of our divisions has a different focus. Which one you are placed in will determine your role in the Future Foundation."

_I see…so not everyone would be required to fill a combat role…_

Kyoko looked to Makoto, flashing back to when Junko tried to kill him, and when she had to step in and save his life.

_Nobody's going to lay a finger on you. I promise to protect you._

She recalled the promise she made, and with Kyosuke's new information, swore to keep it.

_Makoto…as long as I can help it, you will never see a single day of combat!_


	3. The New Division

A/N: So, I've decided that this Gaiden is going to be four chapters long, instead of three. So, one more after this. Enjoy!

Chapter Three: The New Division

"Do we have a deal, Kirigiri?"

Kyosuke's voice rang with challenge, taunting her for an answer. Although she had many, many concerns regarding their new roles as members of the Future Foundation, Kyoko nodded.

_I'll just have to work with what I've got. As long as I can control where we end up, then we should be okay._

Kazuo then took his turn to speak.

"Speaking of which, we need to determine which division to place you all in. I'm afraid that, due to Genocide Jack's unpredictability, it would be too dangerous to place Toko in a permanent position. But we will make her an intern; she will essentially complete paperwork and do other menial tasks. That way, her other self will have limited chances to come out and kill us all."

If Toko had any objections, she didn't voice them.

"We must also make clear that Yasuhiro Hagakure cannot be trusted with leading a division. Not since Kizakura told us the other day that he attempted to bribe Naegi-kun into giving up his organs to escape his debt to the yakuza."

At Kyosuke's revelation, Hina, Toko, and Byakuya gaped in shock before scowling at the Ultimate Clairvoyant, disgusted with how greedy he was. Hiro chuckled nervously and rubbed his hair, suddenly afraid of his classmates. Kyoko glared, but otherwise didn't look surprised in the least, recalling when Makoto told her about the incident.

XXX

"You can just get out!"

Makoto found himself pushed out of Hiro's room, tripping over his own feet as the door slammed behind him.

Getting up and dusting himself off, the Ultimate Lucky Student high-tailed it out of there until Hiro's door was nowhere in sight. Powerwalking through the hallway, Makoto was so focused on putting as much distance between him and Hiro as possible that he didn't notice the person in his path until it was too late.

"Oof!"

"Agh!"

Kyoko Kirigiri fell on her back and looked up to a sight that made her cheeks flush pink; Makoto had fallen right on top of her, his face plopped right on her chest.

Willing her blush to recede, Kyoko pushed against the unlucky boy and urged "Makoto, get up!"

Opening his eyes, Makoto finally saw just who he had landed on and yelped, his face red from embarrassment. He almost flew backwards, eager to get off of her and resolve the misunderstanding.

"Kyoko! I…I can explain!"

"…No need. You were so enamored, seeing me in the bath, that you decided to push your Ultimate Luck and see if you could cop a feel." Smirking, she asked "Am I wrong?"

"NO! I mean YES. I mean…I wasn't trying to touch you, Kyoko. HONEST!"

"Gotcha."

…_Huh? _Looking up at the now standing Kyoko's mischievous grin, he realized _Oh…she tricked me again_.

Her grin softening into s small smile, she extended her hand in an offer. With a relieved smile, Makoto grasped her hand and she tugged, allowing Makoto to stand up on his own two feet again.

"Thanks, Kyoko. I'm sorry about…you know…"

Nodding, Kyoko replied "It's okay. I know this was just an accident. But…what made you so unnerved to make you walk so quickly?"

Makoto quickly relayed how Hiro had tried to shake him down for his organs to sell on the black market.

"I see. And you were trying to get away from him because you were afraid of what lengths he would have been willing to go to get them if you had stayed?"

"Well, after I refused, he just kicked me out of his room. But…" Makoto sighed and confessed "I know we still have that million-dollar motive to worry about. And I want to believe in everyone, I really do. But…after how Sayaka betrayed me and Mondo violently lashed out at Chihiro…not to mention seeing how desperate and greedy Hiro can be…I'm genuinely scared, Kyoko. He could decide to try and kill me AND make off with one of my organs for double the money."

Kyoko looked into Makoto's eyes; his normally bright and cheerful eyes swam with anxiety and genuine fear, a trait that was extremely difficult to bring out in Makoto. The sight unnerved her, so she decided to bring him back to normal. She squeezed Makoto's shoulder, causing him to look up at her soft and reassuring smile.

"I won't deny that the possibility exists, but I believe that same cowardice is what will ensure that he doesn't try such a thing. Making such an attempt on your life after having made that request of you would only make him an obvious culprit and solidify his execution. Besides; I still have to leave my door open during the night. It won't be much trouble to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity from Hiro during that time, too."

His eyes widening, feeling guilty to add to Kyoko's task list, Makoto waved his hands in front of her and tried to dissuade "No, no, you don't have to do that for me. I'm probably just being paranoid, and you need whatever sleep you can get, Kyoko. You don't need to waste your energy looking out for me like that…"

"Makoto."

Makoto shut up, looking at Kyoko as she assured him "It's not any trouble. I'll be fine. You're not a waste of energy. So don't worry about me, alright?"

Blushing, Makoto smiled bashfully and nodded in acceptance. Feeling her own cheeks heat up, Kyoko turned away and concluded "Well, I have to head to the laundry room to do my laundry." Turning on her heel, she finished "Goodbye."

XXX

_It's a good thing Kizakura was able to catch on to my allusion the other night._

Koichi smirked at Kyoko for a brief second before resuming his serious expression towards the Future Foundation Heads. Sensing their silence to be acceptance of their decision, Kazuo continued.

"Kyoko Kirigiri, we would like you to head our newest division; the 14th Division. Do you accept?"

Nodding, Kyoko accepted the offer.

"Good. Now, Makoto Naegi…"

"I want Makoto in my division!"

The whole room went silent as Kyoko made her demand clear. The tension was palpable; Munakata glared at her, not enjoying the attempt of a newbie to usurp power over them.

Attempting to calm the room, Kazuo spoke "I see. And for what reason do you think that having you two in the same division would be most beneficial?"

Without skipping a beat, Kyoko replied "Makoto Naegi and I have worked together during nearly every trial. I doubt that I could have solved every mystery without him. We work well together; quite frankly the Future Foundation can't afford to have us not collaborating."

_Kyoko…you…really mean that?_

Makoto was awestruck that she thought so highly of him, regardless of whether it was an exaggeration or not. The Ultimate Detective did have other reasons for her demand, but she kept those to herself. As Kyosuke was about to object, Makoto chose to speak.

"Ano…I don't mean to overstep my boundaries, sir, but Kyoko's the one I feel most comfortable working with. We've complemented each other well so far. So, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like us to continue working together."

Makoto bowed, making Kazuo smile as he conceded "Well, since both of you are requesting it, I don't see why not. Very well, Kyoko shall head the 14th Division, and Makoto shall be the Vice-Head…"

"I'm afraid I must disagree with that arrangement."

Everyone's head turned to face Byakuya, who surprised everyone with that remark.

"And what exactly do you take issue with, Byakuya?"

To answer Kazuo's question, Byakuya replied "While I will concede that Makoto is a…talented motivational speaker…his administrative skills leave much to be desired. While I don't object to his serving in the same Division, it's giving him a position of leadership that I find repulsive. For you see, if Kyoko were to become unable to serve, even temporarily, then Makoto wouldn't know the first thing about properly leading a division."

"And you have a better idea, Byakuya?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I shall volunteer to be Vice-Head of the 14th Division, while Makoto will be just a regular employee, able to perform whatever tasks Kyoko and I delegate to him."

Mulling it over, Kazuo asked "Makoto, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Um…Byakuya…may have a point. He has led a company before, so he probably knows more about running a group than I do. Maybe…it would be best for him to be Vice-Head. Just as long as I can be useful."

Nodding, Kazuo asked "Kyoko, does this arrangement work with you?"

Shrugging, Kyoko replied "I have no objections."

"Very well; Kyoko will serve as Head, while Byakuya will serve as Vice-Head. Does anyone else wish to join their division?"

Hiro raised his hand, but what was most surprising was that Hina did not.

"Hina…You don't…"

Makoto's voice was laced with hurt as he realized that Hina didn't want to be part of their Division.

"Um…it's not that I don't want to work with you guys anymore. It's just…I think I might get in the way is all…"

"Hina…."

"I think…it might be best if…at least at first…I work for someone that I 'm not too attached to…You've seen what happens…when I get emotional…"

They didn't need Sayaka's supposed psychic powers to tell that she was thinking about her attempt to get them all executed to avenge Sakura's death.

"Hina…are you certain about this?"

Nodding at Kyoko's question, Hina exclaimed "Without a doubt."

Nodding, Kyoko acquiesced "Very well. You seem to have made up your mind. I won't try to change it."

"…Alright, if that's what you want. We'll miss you though…"

Makoto couldn't help but feel as though the gang was splitting up, but respected Hina's wishes.

Nodding, Kazuo said "Very well, so Kyoko, Byakuya, Makoto, and Yasuhiro will serve in the 14th Division, while Aoi will serve in a to-be-determined Division. We have more to discuss, but that can wait until tomorrow. Munakata and Kizakura will show you to your residential quarters; you will each have your own room, and you will have a communal kitchen and living room."

Nodding, Kyosuke turned around and gruffly said "Follow me, everyone."

Without another word, the group followed the two Future Foundation leaders, anxious about starting their new lives as members of the Future Foundation.


	4. Makoto's Insecurities

A/N: Well, here's the final chapter in this particular Gaiden story. Please read and review. Enjoy!

Chapter Four: Makoto's Insecurities

"So…how should we divide up the rooms?"

Hina's question rang in everyone's head as they pondered their first inter-negotiation since leaving Hope's Peak. Kyosuke had taken them to the residential wing set up for their class, then briefly handed Kyoko a map of the Future Foundation facility before curtly announcing his exit, Koichi following him now that their business was concluded.

"Well, it doesn't really matter, right? I mean, we checked the rooms; there's nothing really different about them…"

Hiro was correct; each room was essentially a replica of their dorms at Hope's Peak, complete with a desk, dresser, bed, and a functional bathroom. The only differences were the lack of security monitors, lack of security cameras, and thankfully a lock on EVERYBODY'S bathrooms.

"The dormitories were arranged in the corridor connecting the kitchen and the dining room. Two parallel rooms were adjacent to the dining hall, two other parallel rooms were adjacent to the living room, and the last two parallel rooms were at the corner in the middle."

"So, what you're saying is…each of us is gonna have a next-door neighbor, but only that one next-door neighbor, right?"

Kyoko nodded in response to Hina's question and replied "Exactly. Given that all the rooms are of equal condition, the only thing to decide is who each of us can stand to be neighbors with."

"In that case, let's have Hiro and Toko take the two middle rooms. It's not like anyone else can stand living near them."

"Don't be mean!" Hiro protested at Byakuya's suggestion.

"What's the problem? You yourself said that all the rooms are basically the same, so there should be no problem with where you sleep, right?"

Hiro scowled, but otherwise kept his mouth shut, unable to refute Byakuya, but at the same time unwilling to admit that the Ultimate Affluent Progeny was right.

"B…but Master…I w…wanted to be your nei…neighbor. How else am I going to…be your bel…beloved if we're not clo…close?"

Holding up his hand in defiance, Byakuya retorted "I'd find the idiot swimmer girl a more tolerable life partner than you!"

"IDIOT SWIMMER GIRL?!"

Before an argument could spin out of control, Kyoko interrupted "Enough! Although Byakuya's…tone could use some improvement, it does bring an idea for how to handle our living situation. How about this? Hiro and Toko can take the two middle rooms, as suggested. Byakuya and Hina can take the two rooms near the common area, since he finds her presence more tolerable and the two of them can use it to read and exercise in the morning respectively. Meanwhile, Makoto and I can take the two rooms near the dining hall. That way, I can get my morning coffee in the morning and actually be tolerable. Does anyone have any objections…besides Hiro and Toko?"

Hiro and Toko clamped their mouths shut, and nobody else had any objections.

Seeing the implicit agreement, Kyoko finished "We should all go to bed; we can plan our next move in the morning when we meet with Chairman Tengan. In the meantime, we could all use some sleep in an actual bed. You and your neighbor can decide which room you should take."

Murmuring agreement, everyone murmured a simultaneous "Good Night" and walked off in separate directions, each accompanied by their assigned neighbor. Kyoko and Makoto, the only ones left in the Common Area, trekked the longest distance until they came to the two rooms closest to the Dining Room's entrance.

Kyoko looked at Makoto and jokingly asked "So how do we decide who gets which room? We can't flip a coin; your status as the Ultimate Lucky Student stacks the odds in your favor with anything luck-based."

Giving a shy chuckle, Makoto protested "My luck doesn't really work that way, Kirigiri-san. Usually, it just blows up in my face."

_Kirigiri-san? Why the last name?_ Shaking the thought from her head, Kyoko pointed out "Getting the only room whose door got stuck? Surviving an execution? Any of those ring any bells?"

Rubbing his head in embarrassment, Makoto conceded "Alright, I admit I've gotten lucky when my life depended on it. But I don't think it'll work for deciding who gets an identical room."

Nodding, Kyoko suggested "How about this; we play a game of Janken. Winner gets the room behind me, the loser gets the room behind you. Sound fair?"

Nodding, Makoto replied "Sure; that seems harmless. You ready."

Kyoko nodded and each shook their fists three times before revealing their choice. Kyoko had chosen rock while Makoto had chosen scissors.

"Alright, so we each get the rooms behind us." Turning around, Kyoko finished "See you tomorrow, Makoto. Good Night."

"Good Night Kirigiri-san."

As Kyoko closed the door, she just caught Makoto's second use of her last name, her lips settling into a frown at what seemed to be a new use and uncharacteristic use of formality.

_Why does he feel the need to be so formal all of a sudden? I'll ask him tomorrow, if he calls me that again. _

Trying to shake the worried thought from her head for the evening, Kyoko started to get changed for bed, hoping to get a good night's sleep, now that she didn't have to worry about her or her classmates' safety.

XXX

"THUMP, THUMP, THUMP"

"Hmm…?"

Kyoko woke up, rubbing one sleepy eye with her ungloved fist as she looked around her new room. Everything however was untouched; her room was exactly as she had fallen asleep in.

_Okay, so that thumping sound must be from outside. Did Makoto…_

Kyoko flashed back to earlier yesterday, when she had comforted Makoto after his nightmare flashback.

XXX

"Kyoko…Kyoko, wake up!"

"Urrgh…five more minutes, Grandfather…I don't wanna go to the agency today…"

_She must still be dreaming about her past…_Makoto nudged her with his elbow and hissed "Kyoko, it's Makoto. We need to wake up, NOW!"

"Urrgh…Makoto?"

Kyoko removed one of her hands to rub at her eyes, slowly bringing Makoto's blushing red face into visual clarity.

Still panicked, Makoto urged "Kyoko, I'm really sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep, but we need to get up! Hina said we're gonna arrive at the Future Foundation any minute, and I don't want Mr. Kizakura to find us in such a compromising situation!"

"…Compromising…situation?"

It was then that Kyoko noticed that her left arm was still wound tightly around Makoto's torso. Memories of the previous night flooded back; realizing what he meant by compromising situation, and wanting to avoid any continued teasing by Koichi, Kyoko withdrew her arm. Makoto practically sprang out of her arms and started apologizing.

"I'm sorry! You shouldn't have had to…"

Dusting off her skirt, Kyoko stood up and assured him "It's fine. Now, it looks like everyone else has gone to the cockpit to join Kizakura. We should catch up with them."

Kyoko walked toward the cockpit, Makoto following closely in tow.

XXX

Though Kyoko hadn't blushed at all since waking up, that didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed. She was still wrestling with her feelings regarding the Ultimate Hope, trying to determine whether he was boyfriend material, or if he was simply someone who had earned her trust.

Banishing the dilemma from her mind for the time being, Kyoko slipped on her gloves, thinking _He might have had another nightmare. Even if it leads to another…embarrassing predicament tomorrow morning, making sure he's alright isn't even a choice…_

Her gloves securely on her hands, she got off of the bed and quietly slinked out of her room, noticing that Makoto's door was open ajar. Since it was now confirmed that Makoto was indeed awake and out of his room, Kyoko looked toward the kitchen and saw a familiar spiky shadow coming from that direction.

Rounding the corner, Kyoko spoke "You're up early, Makoto. This isn't like you."

Practically spinning around, Makoto's eyes widened, looking for everyone to see like a little kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

"Ki…Kirigiri-san. Sorry…did I wake you up?"

_Again with the last name? What's the deal?_

As she was about to ask, Kyoko noticed what he was wearing; Makoto was clad in blue footsie pajamas with small yellow stars sprinkled all over the fabric. The outfit made Makoto look more like a an 8-year old kid than the shining Ultimate Hope that she was enamored with.

Her previous interrogation forgotten for the time being, Kyoko could only utter "They have footsie pajamas in our rooms?"

His face colored pink, Makoto answered "Well, I don't know about the rest of yours, but yeah. Apparently the Ultimate Seamstress is also a Future Foundation Employee and stocked our rooms with a variety of clothes. Guess they even made adult-sized footsie pajamas. It also helps that I'm short and can fit into them easier."

"So…did you usually…"

Shaking his head, Makoto informed her "No, no…I don't usually wear these at my age. It's just that well…" Makoto kicked his toe against his heel and grasped his hands behind his back as he confessed "I did wear them when I was a little kid. And well, with everything that happened, sleeping in them reminded me of when I was still a kid and being with my mom and dad and little sister Komaru. I guess I just…for one night…wanted to pretend like things were normal for once, that my family wasn't potentially dead. Sounds childish, doesn't it?"

Kyoko walked up to him and grabbed his hands from behind his back, gently unlocking them before intertwining them with her own, gloved fingers locking with his bare digits.

"If you're asking what our societal peers might think, I'm not sure my opinion is the most qualified. My mother died before I could remember what she looked like. My father and I weren't on good terms for most of my memories that I can recall. And my grandfather; I did love him, yes, but he wasn't exactly a warm guardian. His goal was to teach me to be a detective so that I could continue the Kirigiri legacy, not to make sure I have lots of friends. To be frank, Makoto, part of me feels more than a little jealous, knowing that you had a life of unconditional family love that I never had…"

"Kyoko…"

Makoto was astounded; never in his wildest dreams did he think that Kyoko could be jealous of him, nor did he think that Kyoko would leave herself so emotionally vulnerable as to give him a deeper hint into her emotional upbringing.

"…But if you are asking for my opinion, then I'd say it doesn't really matter what your choice of fashion is. What you wear in the privacy of your bedroom has no bearing on the kind of man you are. If wearing footsie pajamas helps you to sleep better at night, then that's all that matters. So no, I don't think your choice in nightwear is childish."

Beaming, Makoto tightened his grip on her hands, awestruck at just how reassured he felt just by talking to Kyoko.

"Thank you, Kirigiri-san."

"…And we're back to the last-name basis. Why the sudden change in formality? You never called me by my last name, even when we barely knew each other."

Makoto stammered "W…Well…it's just that, with you now head of our division, you're kind of my boss now, right? I mean…shouldn't someone's employees treat their supervisor with the respect they deserve?"

_…So that's all it was…he's just trying to change his politeness to reflect our new positions…_ "If you feel obligated to refer to me using traditional honorifics while we're in official meetings, then I won't stop you. But, while we're in private, I…wouldn't object to staying on a first-name basis." Overcoming the reluctance in her throat, Kyoko continued "I can count on one hand the number of people I trust completely. Not even my father made that list. Makoto, I trust you completely and utterly. So, I would appreciate it if…you continued to call me Kyoko in private."

"Kiri…no, Kyoko…thank you…for trusting me."

Kyoko smiled and continued "Now, why were you up so late? Did you have the nightmare about the trash compactor again? If you need someone to keep you company, you could ask me, or Hina if having your boss keep you company during nighttime is too awkward…"

"Oh no, no! It's nothing like that. I t wasn't the bad ream, because…I well, couldn't get to sleep. I've been thinking about Hajime, and well, I thought there might be something stocked in the kitchen that could calm my nerves."

"Hajime? You mean the Reserve Course Student who the Steering committee experimented on?"

Makoto nodded and explained "You see…I've been thinking on it for a while, and well, I noticed a lot of similarities, between myself and Hajime…" Makoto reached up to touch his ahoge and joked "Besides the hair, I mean…"

Kyoko smiled at Makoto's attempt at lightheartedness and nodded for him to continue.

"I wasn't…exactly popular…or even liked…in elementary and middle school. My defining personality trait was that I liked whatever was popular at the time. Movies, video games, manga, literature…my tastes all changed as soon as a new trend hit. Other than my gung-ho personality, I was so average it was boring to other people. My classmates always picked on me and said that I was uncommitted and had no consistency, no defining talent, nothing that made me worth getting to know. It was…demoralizing in a way, you know?"

For a split second, Kyoko scowled, shocked that anyone would want to pick on and demean the boy that she had grown to admire.

She squeezed his hands in comfort and asked "You know that I don't agree with their assertions, right? Boring and uncommitted aren't even close to describing the kind of person you are."

Grinning for a moment before his smile died down, he nodded and replied "I know, Thanks for the encouragement, Kyoko. But back then, I would have given almost anything for my peers to like me. I just wanted to fit in and belong somewhere."

"I see…so you're noticing some personality similarities between you and Hajime."

"…Yeah…Hajime wanted nothing more than to fit in at Hope's Peak, and the Steering Committee gave him that. Junko took advantage of him and used him to destroy the world as we knew it. Knowing his past now, made me realize…that we're not really so different…"

"…What are you getting at?" Kyoko asked, feeling a tingle of dread run up her spine.

"…I'm saying that if our situations had been reversed, if Hajime had been the Ultimate Lucky Student and I had been trapped in the Reserve Course, then I might have been just as tempted as Hajime to accept the Steering Committee's offer. And I would have been vulnerable to accepting Junko's offer. What does that mean, Kyoko?" He looked up into her eyes, his own shimmering with held-back tears as he asked "Does that make me a monster, because he and I are so similar that I could see myself in Hajime's place? Am I just some monster, waiting in the closet to jump out and scare everyone?"

"Makoto…"

Kyoko stood there, shocked at just how insecure Makoto felt about his own morality after hearing Hajime's story.

_I can't deny that he and Hajime are…similar in their pasts…but there's a major discrepancy he's overlooking!_

Kyoko let go of his hands before encircling him in her embrace, pulling him against her violet nightgown.

"There's one thing that makes you different from Hajime, and what ensures that you are NOT a monster, Makoto. There's a reason I gave you the title of Ultimate Hope. It's because you have an optimism that has no bounds. You defeated the Ultimate Despair all on your own, when even I felt powerless. That's the one quality that Hajime lacked, and it's what allowed him to fall to the whims of both the Steering Committee and Junko." Kyoko squeezed him tighter and concluded "But for all your insecurities, you came through when it really counted. So, if your roles were switched, I'm confident that your boundless optimism would have never given Junko an opening to enact her scheme. So no, Makoto. You are NOT a monster, you have NEVER been a monster, and you NEVER WILL BE a monster. So put that balderdash out of your head. I never want to hear you belittle yourself like that again, do you hear me?"

Tears finally flowing, Makoto grinned, burying his head against her shoulder as Kyoko stroked his hair. The two stayed silent in that standing embrace for a good, long while.

"…Makoto?"

Only silent snoring greeted her, their conversation obviously driven to a standstill.

_…He fell asleep…_

Kyoko couldn't help but smile as Makoto snored, his volume muffled against her nightgown. Coming to a silent decision, Kyoko tightened her right arm around his torso, and hooked her left arm under his knees before hoisting him into her arms, carrying him as she walked towards his room. Nudging the door open with her foot, Kyoko walked up to his bed and gently lowered him on it, making sure his head was comfortably nestled onto his pillow. The Ultimate Detective then whisked the blanket over his body, tucking him in until only his fuzzy head was peeking out from beneath the covers.

Turning around, Kyoko whispered "Good night, Makoto" before softly exiting back to her room across the hall.

Climbing back into bed, she quickly fell back into slumber, getting what little rest she could before facing her new life as Head of the 14th Division of the Future Foundation.


End file.
